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Geo-Strategic Trend - 237. page

U.S. Exports Domestic Crisis to North Africa, Said Official Paper

An article published on Jiefang Daily, the official newspaper of Shanghai’s Communist Party committee, blames the turmoil in North Africa on the United States for shifting its domestic crisis to other countries. Many other state media republished it on their websites. The article claims, ”The recent continuous turmoil in North Africa and the Middle East may have profound world economic and social causes. It not only results from the global financial crisis, but is also the result of the decline of the U.S.’s ability to lead in world affairs. In the end, it is due to the U.S. shifting its domestic crisis to other countries through two waves of quantitative easing of its currency.” The article concludes that, as long as the internal problems arising from the financial crisis are not completely resolved, such turmoil will continue. It warns, “What’s even more worrisome is that some big power will use ulterior political and economic motives to implement irresponsible policies while the Arab countries in Africa are still not stable, making the situation even more complicated.”

Sources: Jiefang Daily, February 28, 2011
http://newspaper.jfdaily.com/jfrb/html/2011-02/25/content_518795.htm

The People’s Bank of China Officially Joined the South East Asian Central Banks

Effective January 25, 2011, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), the central bank of China, formally joined the South East Asian Central Banks (SEACEN) Group as its 17th member. The governor of PBOC, Zhou Xiaochuan, will be a member of the SEACEN Board of Governors. Zhou attended the 46th SEACEN Governors Conference and the 30th SEACEN Board of Governors Meeting in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo from February 25 to 27, 2011. 
SEACEN, established in 1966, “reviews and analyses financial, monetary, banking and economic developments in its constituent member countries and in the region as a whole. It initiates and facilitates co-operation in research and training relating to the policy and operational aspects of central banking.”
Source: Xinhua, February 28, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-02/28/c_121130953.htm

Xiamen University’s Joint Conference of its European Confucius Institutes in Malta

Xiamen University, located in China’s southeast city of Xiamen in Fujian Province, has launched 13 Confucius Institutes in five continents along with local partners. Six of them are in Europe. These Confucius Institutes are at Cardiff University in the UK, at the University of Malta in Malta, at West Paris-Nanterre-La Défence University in France, at Trier University in Germany, at the University of Wroclaw in Poland, and at the Middle East Technical University in Turkey. 
Recently in Malta, Xiamen University held a two-day inaugural conference with the presidents of the six Confucius Institutes, discussing issues including resource pooling, experience sharing, and areas of joint development. The conference intends to create a platform for inter-institute communication and cooperation. The second joint conference is set to be held at the University of Wroclaw in Poland in 2012.
Source: China News Service, February 28, 2011
http://www.chinanews.com/hwjy/2011/02-28/2873433.shtml

Beijing Blames U.S. for Abandoning Mubarak

On February 25, 2011, People’s Daily published an article criticizing the U.S. government for “abandoning Mubarak unsympathetically at the critical moment,” which has “not only disappointed other US Middle East allies, but also let them further understand the pragmatic nature of the U.S. Middle East foreign policy.” By listing current and historic examples of U.S. foreign policy decisions in Egypt, Iran and Libya, the article concludes that the purpose for the U.S. to promote democracy in the Middle East is to control its strategic benefits in the Middle East out of self interest. 

Source: People’s Daily, February 25, 2011
http://world.people.com.cn/GB/14001278.html

Sinopec Completes Acquisition of Occidental’s Argentine Unit

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec), Asia’s largest refiner, completed its acquisition of Occidental Petroleum Corp.’s Argentine oil and gas unit for $2.45 billion. The acquisition agreement was signed on December 10, 2010. This purchase gives Sinopec an interest in 23 production and exploration concessions in Santa Cruz, Mendoza, and Chubut provinces. According to Sinopec Groups, in 2010, petroleum production had reached 15 million barrels with natural gas sales hitting 14 billion cubic feet.

Source: Xinhua, February 23, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-02/23/c_121114769.htm

People’s Daily: Finance Minister Chen Deming’s Visit to Africa Has Special Significance

On February 17, 2011, People’s Daily reported Finance Ministry Spokesperson Yao Jian’s comments on Finance Minister Chen Deming’s visit to three African countries (Morogo, Equatorial Guinea, and Ghana) from February 13-17. Yao said the visit carried special meaning because it took place against the backdrop of the 55th anniversary of China-Africa cooperation and the full-scale implementation of the eight new strategies put forth by the fourth minister’s conference of the China-Africa cooperation forum. The China-Africa cooperation forum was established in 2000. Over the last decade, the scale of cooperation has steadily increased. The amount of bilateral trade has increased from US$10 billion in 2000 to US$126.9 billion. Investments cover the areas of mining, manufacturing, agriculture, and so on. Since July 1, 2010, China has reduced its customs duty by 60 percent for 26 African countries. China also encourages and supports Chinese enterprises to increase investment in Africa, and expand in the areas of agriculture, manufacturing, finance, commerce, and environmental protection.

Source: People’s Daily, February, 17, 2011
http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/13942743.html

Taiwanese Scholar Concerned about the CCP’s Penetration

"The Chinese Communist Party is working directly with local organizations and businesses in Taiwan, looking for agents, instead of dealing with the Nationalist Party leaders (the Kuomintang)," said Wu Zhaoxie (Joseph Wu), a research fellow at National Chengchi University’s Institute of International Relations. “Further, there are more political parties [in Taiwan now] … about 140 of them. Most of them are one person or three to five-person parties, funded by Taiwan businesses or Mainland civic groups or organizations. Actually the Chinese Communist Party is behind them.” Wu made this statement on February 15, 2011, during an interview with Epoch Times after the Taiwan Cross-strait Business Relations Forum.  

As the former head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Washington, D.C.,Wu was the chief representative of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the United States. 

Source: Epoch Times, February 15, 2011
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/11/2/15/n3171118.htm

China to Build a Atlantic-Pacific Railway in Columbia

Colombia’s president Juan Manuel Santos recently told Financial Times that China has proposed building a railway to connect Colombia’s Atlantic and Pacific coasts as an alternative to the Panama Canal. The US$7.6 billion project, to be funded by the Chinese Development Bank, will be operated by the China Railway Group.

China’s ambassador to Colombia, Gao Zhengyue, told president Santos, “Colombia has a very important strategic position. We view the country as a port to the rest of Latin America.” According to Financial Times, “The 220km ‘dry canal’ would run from the Pacific to a new city near Cartagena where imported Chinese goods would be assembled for re-export throughout the Americas. Colombia-sourced raw materials would make the return journey to China.” 

Source: Financial Times, February 13, 2011
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7e14756c-37a9-11e0-b91a-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1E2w2RaDQ